There aren’t too many school related things I’m willing to get up for at 4 AM, but Legislative Day is an example of an event I never miss. For the past two years, I’ve rolled out of bed before the crack of down, made myself presentable, put on my white coat, and driven to the USG campus where a shuttle bus would take me and several other pharmacy students to our state’s capital.

On February 16, student pharmacists from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy joined the Maryland Pharmacy Coalition (MPC) as well as students from University of Maryland Eastern Shore School of Pharmacy and Notre Dame of Maryland School of Pharmacy to speak with members of the Maryland General Assembly about important issues central to the role of pharmacists as health care providers. Most of these issues surround what pharmacists can do to provide optimal patient care and help reduce health care costs.

As a resident of district 19, I had the opportunity to speak with my district’s representatives, Delegates Bonnie Cullison and Marice Morales as well as Senator Roger Manno. Cognizant of their busy schedules, my group’s primary focus this year was on just two bills that MPC is in support of:

SB363/HB613, which authorizes a pharmacist to prescribe and dispense specified contraceptives, and

SB815/HB1031, which allows students in their first year of pharmacy school to be eligible for registration as a pharmacy intern.

The points we made and the stories we shared to drive them home were well received by each person we spoke with. Our fingers are crossed that their support will help these bills become signed into law. The positive energy and enthusiasm from students and pharmacists alike, along with the knowledge that we really can help shape the future of pharmacy, are what motivate me to come back to Annapolis every year and advocate for my profession.

University of Maryand School of Pharmacy Students from USG outside the Maryland State House